Fitness, the key
That fast bowlers succumb to hectic schedules is no secret. Jason Gillespie, Shane Bond, Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji and, of course, Shoaib Akhtar are examples of people whose careers have suffered due to injuries. Compare them to the likes of Kapil, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock and Courtney Walsh — because these bowlers could stand the test of time, they made it to the list of greats.
“In a long time, we have a bowler now who’s not afraid of bowling short, who has managed to trouble an opponent like Australia with pace more than anything else,” says Kapil. “He should lay a lot of emphasis on fitness. If we look at the kind of cricket played these days, it is very hectic and can take its toll on a bowler, especially a fast bowler. He needs to be wary of that. The team needs to use him judiciously. If he can maintain his fitness levels and preserve his energy, he has a long way to go.”
Ishant has delivered 919 balls in Test cricket so far and many spells have been as demanding as the one in which he took Ponting’s wicket. Considering that Ishant has played teams such as Pakistan and Australia, it is the best possible start for someone learning to play under pressure. But Sekar says: “It is this kind of pressure that will follow him throughout his career. At some point of time, he will feel tired, frustrated at times.”
When Ishant was playing Ranji Trophy, before the India call came, his one constant traveling companion was Delhi’s bowling coach Manoj Prabhakar. The former India swing bowler, reputed to have brought some street-smartness into the business of bowling, often said, “Yeh ladka agar dimaag se bowling karega to star banega. Bahut potential hai” (If this boy uses his brains, he’ll do very well. He has got tremendous potential). When he said “using brains” — Prabhakar explains in retrospect — he meant that “he has to make his body support him if he wants to have a long international career”.
When Ponting said Ishant’s was some of the better bowling he’s faced in Test cricket, it was a proud moment for the bowler. Now it is upto him to keep working hard and for the team’s support staff, and the board, to ensure that the heavy workload of international cricket doesn’t destroy another potential match-winner.